From fun to a twist on tradition
Phoenix singles at Fernbank Crossing target young and mature buyers
‘Don’t get sucked into the vortex!” warns Jessica Bertrand during a recent tour of Phoenix Homes’ two new model homes at Fernbank Crossing in Stittsville.
Bertrand, director of sales and marketing at Phoenix, is referring to the swirling, yellow wallpaper in the living room that depicts a spacey vortex, part of the lighthearted contemporary/retro decor in the Winchester model.
Souped up with elements such as a totally rococo mirror in the dining room, a sculptured Tilt kitchen stove hood that looks like part of a space station and the coolest vinyl wallpaper ever covering all the bedroom walls (take your pick: an underwater scene; a forest glade; outer space), the Winchester model is clearly designed to snag the attention of younger families, or at least the young at heart.
Because it is a model, special touches such as that slick stove hood and wild wallpaper are either upgrades or simply decorating whims.
Like its neighbouring model, the more traditional Fairmont, the Winchester is a single-family home and sports a Craftsman-inspired elevation. That elevation is one of the changes Rahul Kochar, Phoenix’s vice-president in charge of housing, has brought in at a company that originally made its mark with Victorian stylings.
The Winchester, starting at 2,475 square feet and $459,000, is Phoenix’s first home on a 43-foot lot. It’s also a highly flexible home available in three-, four- and five-bedroom styles, some with an optional loft. A main-floor den/office adjacent to the foyer is a standard feature.
“I love this floor plan,” says Bertrand, glancing around the semiopen-concept main floor where the living/dining room leads directly to the kitchen/family room.
“I could be in the kitchen, my inlaws could be in the living room and the kids could be in the family room and I could be talking to them all.”
That kitchen includes, as upgrades, a waterfall quartz countertop (granite is standard) and a herringbone-patterned metallic backsplash behind the stove (ceramic is standard).
The Winchester’s mud room has direct access from the garage and is immediately adjacent to a powder room, laundry and closet — just the ticket for a fast cleanup after a trek through the great outdoors.
Upstairs, the model features four bedrooms and a loft, with his-andhers closets in the spacious master bedroom.
The Winchester and the Fairmont are among the 800-plus homes that Phoenix will eventually build on this site off Terry Fox Drive south of the Queensway. At present, the company is offering singles on 35-, 43and 50-foot lots as well as bungalows on 43- and 50-foot lots. Phoenix — whose parent company DCR/Phoenix Group is celebrating its 25th year in business — recently opened phase two of Fernbank Crossing.
Phoenix’s other model at the site, the four-bedroom Fairmont, starts at 3,456 square feet and $550,900 and comes on a 50-foot lot.
It’s outfitted in more traditional garb than the cheeky Winchester. White predominates with splashes of colour and texture. Those colourful pops include, in the formal living room, a living wall of green plants fed by an automatic watering system, which promises to suffuse the room with both oxygen and natural serenity.
Other highlights include a grand staircase and a light-filled dining room that’s open to the second storey. The large kitchen (the model is outfitted with traditional panelled cabinetry and a concealed refrigerator) features a generous breakfast nook and hefty island. Options include a big, bright solarium stretching two storeys high.
“The open spaces let us gain a lot of natural light and they give drama to this home,” says Bertrand.
The model’s 13-by-20-foot family room boasts a gleaming wall unit — also an upgrade — that stretches the length of the room with the fireplace in its centre. It manages to combine elegance with old-style coziness.
The second storey includes not just the bedrooms and laundry room but a catwalk leading from one side of the home to the other. It looks down on the dining room and amplifies the Fairmont’s feeling of spaciousness and light.
Two of the four bedrooms have ensuites and walk-in closets. One of the rooms could be used by a livein nanny or older parents, while the master bedroom is a partially secluded oasis with upgraded boardand-batten-style walls and a pendant-light theme that links the ensuite and the sleeping area.